WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Navy has selected the Kongsberg-designed Naval Strike Missile (NSM) to meet the Over-the-Horizon Weapon System requirement of its Littoral Combat Ships (LCS). Kongsberg is teamed with Raytheon.

The U.S. Navy issued a Request for Information (RFI) on June 15, 2015, for a new over-the-horizon (OTH) anti-surface missile to equip its next-generation frigate. The U.S. Navy wants to enhance the anti-ship/strike capability of its surface warships.

With the deferring of the Offensive Anti-Surface Warfare (OASuW) Increment II, the U.S. Navy launched the Littoral Combat Ship Over-The-Horizon (LCS OTH) Missile project. The U.S. Navy included procurement funding for the LCS OTH Missile in its FY19 defense budget. This missile could meet immediate needs until a next generation solution is available.

The contract awarded to Raytheon is worth $14,856,016. This contract involves the manufacture and delivery of Over-the-Horizon Weapon Systems, which consist of encanistered missiles (EM) loaded into launching mechanisms (LM); and a single fire control suite (FCS). This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $847,611,857.

Work will be performed in Kongsberg, Norway (75 percent); Tucson, Arizona (15 percent); Schrobenhausen, Germany (4 percent); Raufoss, Norway (3 percent); McKinney, Texas (2 percent); and Louisville, Kentucky (1 percent), and is expected to be completed by May 2020.

Current U.S. Navy budget plans call for LCS OTH Missile procurement to continue through FY23. Purchases may proceed beyond this point, but the U.S. Navy is looking at longer term solutions to its anti-ship and strike missile needs.

The Royal Norwegian Navy has been operating the subsonic NSM since 2012.

Source: Forecast Intelligence Center
Associated URL: http://www.forecastinternational.com
Author: L. Dickerson, Missile Systems